Afghan uprising of 1842

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Afghan uprising of 1842

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The catastrophic British withdrawal from Kabul during the First Anglo-Afghan War in 1842.

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Origins & Early Life

The 1842 retreat from Kabul was the retreat of the British and East India Company forces from Kabul during the First Anglo-Afghan War. An uprising in Kabul forced the then-commander, Major-General William Elphinstone, to fall back to the British garrison at Jalalabad. In early January 1842, as the army and its numerous dependants and camp followers began their march, they came under attack from Afghan tribesmen. Many in the column died of exposure, frostbite or starvation, or were killed during the fighting. At the beginning of the conflict, British and East India Company forces had defeated the forces of Afghan Emir Dost Mohammad Barakzai and in 1839 occupied Kabul, restoring the former ruler, Shah Shujah Durrani, as emir.

Career & Major Achievements

However, a deteriorating situation made their position more and more precarious, until an uprising in Kabul forced Maj. Gen. Elphinstone to withdraw. To this end he negotiated an agreement with Wazir Akbar Khan, one of the sons of Dost Mohammad Barakzai, by which Elphinstone’s army was to be guaranteed security as they fell back to the Jalalabad garrison, more than 140 kilometres (90 mi) away. No sooner had the British left Kabul than Afghans loyal to Akbar launched attacks against the column, continuing to harry it as it made slow progress through the winter snows along the route that is now the Kabul–Jalalabad Road. In total the British army lost 4,500 troops, along with about 12,000 civilians: the latter comprising both the families of Indian and British soldiers, plus workmen, servants and other Indian camp followers. The final stand was made just outside a village called Gandamak on 13 January.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Out of more than 16,000 people from the column commanded by Elphinstone, only one European (Assistant Surgeon William Brydon) and a few Indian sepoys reached Jalalabad. Over one hundred British prisoners and civilian hostages were later released. An uncertain number of the Indians, many of whom were maimed by frostbite, survived and returned to Kabul to exist as beggars or to be sold into slavery elsewhere. About 2,000 sepoys returned to India after another British invasion of Kabul several months later, but others remained behind in Afghanistan. In 2013, a writer for The Economist called the retreat "the worst British military disaster until the fall of Singapore exactly a century later." In 1838 the East India Company feared an increased Russian influence in Afghanistan after Dost Mohammad Barakzai had seized power from former ruler Shuja Shah Durrani in 1834.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1838: 1838 Milestone — " In 1838 the East India Company feared an increased Russian influence in Afghanistan after Dost Mohammad Barakzai had seized power from former ruler Shuja Shah Durrani in 1834.
2. 1839: 1839 Milestone — At the beginning of the conflict, British and East India Company forces had defeated the forces of Afghan Emir Dost Mohammad Barakzai and in 1839 occupied Kabul, restoring the former ruler, Shah Shujah Durrani, as emir.
3. 1842: 1842 Milestone — The 1842 retreat from Kabul was the retreat of the British and East India Company forces from Kabul during the First Anglo-Afghan War.
4. 2013: 2013 Milestone — In 2013, a writer for The Economist called the retreat "the worst British military disaster until the fall of Singapore exactly a century later.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Afghan uprising of 1842

True or False: “Did the initial British occupation of Kabul following the defeat of Dost Mohammad Barakzai result in immediate and lasting stability for the occupying forces?”

Answer (FALSE ❌): The occupation quickly became precarious due to underlying Afghan discontent, which was exacerbated by the replacement of a popular ruler with a weak puppet.

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